


Electric Heart

by HARTandSOLwrites (doomedpassion2yaoi)



Series: In Season [3]
Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-04-28
Updated: 2016-04-28
Packaged: 2018-06-05 03:38:10
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,775
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6687664
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/doomedpassion2yaoi/pseuds/HARTandSOLwrites
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sequel to Paper Heart...</p><p>In the last installment, Bickslow reveals that he cherishes Laxus and the blond Dragon Slayer accepts the Seith Mage's love.  But as with fics about these two there are bound to be more misunderstandings to come.</p><p>The song title I chose for this piece comes from Shinee's <i>Lucifer</i> album.  Although the song lyrics don't really match up with the mood for the first chapter, I think it will encapsulate the tone of the entire piece put together.</p><p>I also picked this song for Bickslow's passion for Laxus, like I picked <i>Paper Heart</i> for Laxus's fear of being hurt in love.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Electric Heart

Bickslow has made a mistake.  He clasps the blond Dragon Slayer’s fingers to his lips.  His dark varnished nails, though with colour chipped off, contrast starkly against once golden skin now waxen and pale.  The older man’s hands are knobbly thin, no longer nobly slender.

Laxus blushes.  The rose of his cheeks highlights the hollow of his complexion, and the Seith mage mourns his beloved’s decline in health. 

The dark haired man can only smile wanly at the blond’s waning light.

The  Dragon Slayer of Lightning twists his fingers in his suitor’s hand.  They trail away, lingering, but almost ashamed to stay.  He lowers his eyes.  He cannot keep disappointing his mate like this.  That man should not still affect him.  He sniffs, mortified.  How can the thought of the bastard still scare him like this?  He tilts his hands away.  He clutches at his shirt with his trembling fingers.  He lowers his head and squeezes his eyes shut.  He should be stronger.

“Laxus,” the Seith mage holds his fingers out to lace their fingers together again, “…look at me, please.”

His Beloved is so diminished that he has become a wraith in their home.  It must be this house.  Even here, in this room that Bickslow claimed as his own years ago, traces of _him_ remain.  He has never had reason not until _then_ to refuse his leader entry.  Now all he can think is that, while Justine – that bastard! – hadn’t carved any runes into his belongings, he had contaminated every piece of furniture with his scent.  At least Bickslow changes his sheets regularly.  He can no longer make Laxus stay in this house hunted by that demon.

His Dragon Slayer deserves so much better.

“I’ll take you home to the Master.” The dark haired man glances out the window.  It is a two storey jump.

As much as he wants to avoid the rest of the house, where he still reigns strong, he cannot risk shattering his beloved’s body with the impact.  He tugs his beloved with him to the door, even if it means exposing Laxus to that bastard’s lingering presence.

The blonde wraith whimpers.  He cannot leave his mate.  His fingers dig into cloth of the Seith mage’s shirt; his claws punch holes in the fabric.

“No Laxus, not like that.” Bickslow wraps his arms around his Beloved’s trembling body. “I won’t abandon you, not like that.”

 “I won’t ever leave you.” He presses a kiss to dank blond curls, and his arms tighten. “I want you to feel better.  The Guild is safer than here, maybe not that fire brat.  Your grandfather is stronger than all of us, but he can protect you.”

The frail Dragon Slayer shakes his head. “You won’t come with me.”

“I don’t think the Master will be happy to see me.” Bickslow’s jaw tightens.

He deserves it. He hasn’t been taking care of Laxus the way he promised.  He knows that the Master will have killed him many times over if the old man isn’t so sure of Laxus’s devotion.

“I’ll take care of this place.” He swallows. “When I can prove to the Master that I can provide for you, protect you.  I’ll take you to home, a place just for us.  I promise.”

“You’re like him.”

“What?” The Seith mage’s eyes widen and the cords of his neck spasm.

“You’re like Mest.” Laxus pulls back and stares his Mate in the eyes.

Bickslow frowns. “I don’t –”

His lips twist. “I’m not a coward.”

The blond tilts his head to the side. “You’re afraid of Gramps.”

“No.” Bickslow bows his head. “I failed you…”

He licks his top lip. “I’m afraid of myself.”

“T-that’s why I can’t be the one you depend on until I can become stronger,” he inhales in a gasping pant, “more reliable.”

Laxus’s claws scratch against his lover’s skin like he wants to be admitted, absorbed. “You’re exactly the same.”

The dark haired man laughs harshly. “Is that what you think?”

“Mest went to war alone to protect Erik.  Me?  I don’t trust myself to be enough.”

Laxus shrieks. “You’re both so _fucking_ self-centred!”

Bickslow jerks back and almost drops his blond charge.

“You know I’m right.” Gold eyes spark with anger that pretends almost well enough to be lively.

The Seith mage flinches.  The blond Dragon Slayer is right as always.  What they need is a change of space.  They need to get away from this place.  He’ll get a job and he’ll go with Laxus.  Even if his beloved is too ill to fight, they need to be together just the two of them and they cannot afford a vacation.  He won’t ask the Master to lend him money, not when he can do his best to provide for them.  He did just say he wanted to prove that he could.

“Don’t.” Laxus frowns. “You’re being a prideful idiot.”

“What?”

The blond Dragon’s Slayer’s lips twitch. “You’re going to go with Mest on a quest.”

He bites the inside of his cheek.  He has to let Bickslow think he’s okay, but Laxus misses him already.

His eyes glimmer. “I hear he’s in the doghouse again.  Erza and Lucy will be going with you.”

“I think Gray and that pink haired brat will put up with me for a bit.”

“You don’t want me to take you to the Master?”

“No!” Laxus stares at his lover, eyes wide. “I can’t let him see me like this!”

“We make a real pair don’t we?” The dark haired man chuckles.

The blond tucks his head under Bickslow’s chin. “I don’t want Gramps to worry too much.”

“Okay.” The Seith mage exhales. “I’ll take you to Gray’s.”

“Now?  But…”

“We’ll talk to Gray and Natsu, okay?” Bickslow curls his fingers into blond hairs at the nape of his beloved’s neck. “We’ll get settled.”

Laxus snuggles closer.  His heart stutters.  His lover most likely plans to leave during the night.  His claws pierce the Seith mage’s skin and the dark haired man hisses.  The blond Dragon Slayer doesn’t notice and curls closer into his lover’s neck.  He buries his nose in his lover’s damp skin and inhales in gasps.  He needs more.

The dark haired man closes his eyes.  He can say nothing that will make things better.  He cannot pretend that they have enough funds to live on by themselves.  He has already refused (and been refused) to take funds from the Master.  He cannot care for his beloved when he is working.

“I’ll take you with me when you’re stronger.”

The blond Dragon Slayer nods softly.  He closes his eyes.  His breaths slow and he claws retract, but his fingers are still tightly woven with the fabric of Bickslow’s shirt.  He presses his ear against his mate’s carotid.

The dark haired man wraps his fingers around Laxus’s own.  He lifts the younger man’s fingers to his lips.  Bickslow sighs and gently extricates the blond from his shirt.  He smiles wryly at his beloved and shakes his head.  He gently presses a palm behind the Dragon Slayer’s cranium and lays the blond closer to his chest.

He calls his dolls to him and they fly to the guild.  He glances around the streets.  He cannot waste another minute.  The longer they remain here, the higher the chance they will be open to that bastard’s attacks.  Bickslow knows better than anyone that the former leader of the Raijinshuu is a formidable foe enough with his affinity for flight and traps.  It is the green haired demon’s less known ability for disguise that makes the dark haired man wary.  He can appear as anyone and even conceal his aura with certain runes.

Bickslow tighten his grip on Laxus’s sleeping body.  He cannot and will not allow the monster to ruin his beloved any more than he has.  He lips curl into a snarl.  If Justine dares, the Seith Mage will wreck him.  The breeze blows a chill into the dark haired man’s bloodstream.  _He_ must be watching.  He glances out the corners of his eyes.  He cannot see a strand of green acid hair in his vicinity.  He closes his eyes, even his soul detection will not help him now.  Bickslow grins.  The bastard’s footsteps cannot be hidden as well as his appearance.  But he cannot guarantee that he can avoid the traps.

What he can use, however, is a lacrima programmed by Levy that circumvent that bastard’s rules long enough to escape.  He cracks Levy’s gift against the stone foot path, and pulls out a standard teleportation lacrima.  It’s already been keyed to the guild house.

They appear in a second, and their guild mates rush upon them.

“Where is Freed?”

“Did you see him?”

“I still don’t understand…”

“He’s a fucking traitor!”

Laxus wakes with a snarl.  Too many bodies surrounding him and his mate.  His gold eyes flash dangerously.  Even weak bodied Dragons, or their mage inheritors Dragon Slayers, will attack when threatened.

“Shut the hell up!” Natsu shoves his way through the crowd, towing Wendy along.  Both Dragon females are like kin to Laxus.  He will not attack them.

The blue haired girl holds her arms up. “Back away please.  Laxus needs to rest.”

“I’m taking him to the guest suites.” Bickslow growls. “Don’t follow.”

He walks out into the hallway and goes up the stairs.  Even as he walks he can hear voices from the mess hall:

Makarov thumps his staff against the wooden floor. “The guild needs protection.  Bickslow and _Laxus_ need protection.  And we will give it.”

He may be shorter than them, but his words cajole them.  When the Master speaks, they listen and the crowd twitters, but disperses.  They know better than to continue in their endeavour when they have to protect one of their own.  No one can forget that Laxus is the Master’s grandson and heir to one of the Founders’ legacy.

Levy’s detection and protection runes need to be reinforced.  They need to be updated and the more pairs of working hands the better to cover larger territory.  Yet, it is well known that Freed Justine Rune Mage extraordinaire can and will dispel their enchantments as he pleases.

“We need to create a patrol schedule.” Erza raises her sword arm. “We cannot allow him through our defenses.”

The guild members look at each other.  Some shiver, others set their jaws.  Though the renegade’s role as the former leader of the Raijinshuu means that he was once one of the strongest of their guild, they will fight him to the death for their guild mate.

They drink to their vow to protect Laxus.


End file.
